#120 The Smiling Routine: My Daily Dose of Unspoken Connections

August 05, 2023

Photo by Jonathan Daniels on Unsplash

Let me take you through my daily routine of smiles on my way to the office. It may sound mundane but trust me it is as exciting to me as is the work in the office. And the most interesting part is that this is an everyday thing.

Let's start with the bus ride. I take 522 to office everyday. To people who don’t know what 522 is, it’s a bus number connecting downtown San Jose to Stanford. The driver, who wears a turban and has a beard that could rival Santa's, nods at me each day like we're in some secret club. And the other passengers? I share this exclusive bus ride from my bus stop with the same colorful characters every day, including Mr. Bike-On-Bus and Beach-Party-Early-Morning-Guy. A group that wouldn’t look out of place in a sitcom. The guy with the bike (seriously, who brings a bike onto a bus?) gives a silent statement of his fitness commitment and the cool dude always lost in his music world, rocking shorts, a graphic tee, and black loafers like he's on his way to a beach party.

Once I make it past the beach dude, I claim the seat right behind him. We share a smile that says, "Yup, another day, another dollar." The great part is, no one ever takes my seat. Either I've unknowingly released a bad odor or there's an unspoken rule. I like to think it's the latter.

Post bus journey, I have a daily race with a cyclist who also works at my office. He always wins and celebrates with a loud 'Good Morning!' I think he likes to see me huffing and puffing.

At the office, the welcome committee is our security guard. He's a tough guy with a heart of gold, his nods are like badges of honor for making it on time. He's the unofficial timekeeper - no need for a clock when I have him!

The pantry lady is next. She's like a fairy godmother, always ensuring the water bottle and my favourite Greek yogurt are ready to grab. Our conversations may be limited to smiles, but they’re as warm as fresh-baked cookies.

While coming back from the office, there's this fruit lady on the way to the bus stop. She's got a van loaded with apples, oranges, you name it. Every morning, she gives me a bright smile, the kind that makes the day a little better. Sometimes, I daydream about winning the lottery and buying all the fruit in her van. Not because I need a ton of fruit, but just as a big 'thank you' for her smile every day. But then, reality wakes me up from my dream and reminds me that my pocket is still on a diet. But who knows? Someday, my daydream might just become a reality and I might make her day by buying out her entire van.

So there it is, my daily soap opera, with the same characters playing their parts, same time, same place. It's funny how we all end up sharing these mundane moments, turning a simple commute into one with full of smiles. Even in the most routine parts of our day, there are moments of connection, even if it's just a smile or a shared look of "here we go again". These routine rituals, and the people in them, add a dash of human warmth to our daily grind, turning the everyday into something a little bit extraordinary. And hey, who knows? Maybe one day, the beach guy will lose his headphones, or the cyclist won't beat me to the office, or I might actually buy that whole fruit van.. Until then, the show goes on!

Cheers!

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